1. Some of you may know that I'm participating in the Sketchbook Project. To help me prepare for it, I rented a book from the library called The Artist's Handbook. This book is really cool! It helped me see what other kinds of materials and techniques to use on my sketchbook. You know what's great about this book? Its almost like an art supply catalog. I was flipping through the pages and there were sections on different kinds of pencils, paintbrushes, charcoals and more. It helped me remember some supplies that I already owned but haven't used in years! I have pastels and inks that have sitting at the bottom of my art bin. I think it would be really cool to unearth them and experiment with them for my sketchbook. Its a sketchbook after all! The other cool thing about this book is that since its like a catalog, it shows all different kinds of paintbrushes and the kinds of strokes they make. I know how expensive painting can get especially if you don't know what kinds of brushes to buy. There were so many times when I ended up paying up to $15 for a single brush and it turns out that I didn't like it. This book saves you the time and money by showing exactly what they do. While the book contains only general information, it will help any artist figure out what medium they want to focus on by introducing a vast amount of 2D media in one convenient place.
2. I'm trying to live my life as green as possible and one of the more recent changes I have made is making my laundry more eco-friendly. I learned that regular laundry detergents are bad for the environment and I wanted to find out why. One of the reasons I found was:
Both dishwashing and laundry detergent can be bad for the environment. They both have a number of chemicals in them and end up being washed out of drains into water supplies and that can have a deleterious effect on the ecosystem. One example is that many dishwashing detergents contain phosphate - it's a naturally occurring substance, but if too much of it gets into waterways, algae and phytoplankton feed on it and reproduce in massive numbers; causing an algal bloom. Algal blooms block out sunlight and cause oxygen imbalances in a body of water; and as a result kill off other species. source
Yikes! And people do laundry every day! I noticed that regular laundry detergents make me sneeze and I know I'm not allergic to anything. I don't want to develop allergies later in life, so I feel that switching my laundry methods will help me and the environment too.
This is how I do my laundry:
a. I saved one of the cups from my old laundry detergent and washed it out. Then I pour the liquid castile soap into it. I like to use Dr. Bronner's peppermint scented soap! Mmm! Minty fresh! The amount varies depending on the load.
b. After about 14 minutes during the 'Rinse' cycle, I add about a tablespoon or more of baking soda into my load of laundry. I stopped using fabric softener and dryer sheets and found baking soda to be a really good [and cheap!] substitute. Baking soda takes away odor and also works as a natural fabric softener. So after its 30 days in the fridge, you can use the box of baking soda as a fabric softener! I love things that have more than one use.
c. When the cycle is done, I place my laundry into the dryer. No need to use dryer sheets because the baking soda will work its magic! When its all finished, your laundry will be clean and fresh! Huzzah!
3. Kat Von D Painted Love Lipstick set at Sephora. Wow! I love this! I'm not much of a lipstick wearer but this set is amazing! I'm sure the colors would look great on any skin shade. I read reviews on this and so far it looks like a great buy. The lipsticks come in a sample size set so it will give you the chance to try a lot of colors for a reasonable price. I wish more lipsticks were like that. Honestly, does anyone ever finish a whole tube of lipstick? They eventually go bad you know. Anyway, I think I might pick this up very soon! I've always wanted to be a little daring and wear red lipstick. haha!
4. I am a tea drinker and I loooove trying out different teas. I had one pouch of Organic African Nectar by Mighty Leaf. The seasons are changing and it felt right to try something warm and exotic. My instincts were correct! I've tried a lot of teas in my lifetime but was only introduced to Red Tea (or Rooibos) this year. I was looking for an alternative to caffeinated hot drinks. I thought decaffeinated tea was only limited to peppermint or chamomile tea. Boy was I wrong! There's a lot of different kinds of teas to try. Now, I've tried red tea before, but the brand that I had tasted closer to cherry cough syrup. I was really hesitant to try the lone Organic African Nectar pouch. It turns out that it is now my new favorite! It has a sweet, slightly citrus note, and is very refreshing. If you're looking for a different tea to drink, expand your horizons. A great way to start is to get a sampler pack :) Or if you have a friend that is into tea, bring over some DVDs and watch it over a cup of tea. Happy times!
Oh yea! I found this super cool idea yesterday! Its how to make a tea bag out of a coffee filter! I have a lot of loose tea and sometimes my tea strainer is inconveniently used and placed into the dishwasher. Making paper tea bags seems really easy and fun. And also, paper coffee filters are biodegradable :)
5. Mameshiba!! I am obsessed with Mameshiba and I'm not even really sure what it is. Mameshiba was introduced to me by my pal, Taz. We had dinner with friends one evening and he was showing us some of the cartoons on his iPhone. My best guess is that is a series of cartoon shorts about a puppy that manifests itself into your food and announces a random fact. Then the unfortunate victim is totally grossed out! It has to be seen to believed. haha! I'll include 2 of my favorites:
I hope you all have a lovely week :)
1 comment:
Mameshibaaaaa! :3
*gurgle*gurgle*
-Angie
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